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Theravāda Vinaya Theravāda Collection on Monastic Law
Bhikkhunivibhaṅga The Nuns’ Analysis
Pācittiyakaṇḍa The chapter on offenses entailing confession
Chattupāhanavagga The subchapter on sunshades and sandals
89. Vāsitakasikkhāpada Bathing with sesame paste
Origin story
Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. At one time when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery,
Tena kho pana samayena chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo vāsitakena piññākena nahāyanti. the nuns from the group of six were bathing with scented sesame paste.
Manussā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—People complained and criticized them,
“kathañhi nāma bhikkhuniyo vāsitakena piññākena nahāyissanti, seyyathāpi gihiniyo kāmabhoginiyo”ti. “How can nuns bathe with scented sesame paste? They’re just like householders who indulge in worldly pleasures!”
Assosuṁ kho bhikkhuniyo tesaṁ manussānaṁ ujjhāyantānaṁ khiyyantānaṁ vipācentānaṁ. The nuns heard the complaints of those people.
Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—The nuns of few desires complained and criticized them,
“kathañhi nāma chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo vāsitakena piññākena nahāyissantī”ti …pe… “How can the nuns from the group of six bathe with scented sesame paste?” …
“saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo vāsitakena piññākena nahāyantī”ti? “Is it true, monks, that those nuns do this?”
“Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti. “It’s true, sir.”
Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe… The Buddha rebuked them …
kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, chabbaggiyā bhikkhuniyo vāsitakena piññākena nahāyissanti. “How can the nuns from the group of six do this?
Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe… This will affect people’s confidence …” …
evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—“And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:
Final ruling
“Yā pana bhikkhunī vāsitakena piññākena nahāyeyya, pācittiyan”ti. ‘If a nun bathes with scented sesame paste, she commits an offense entailing confession.’”
Definitions
Yā panāti A:
yā yādisā …pe… whoever …
bhikkhunīti Nun:
…pe… ayaṁ imasmiṁ atthe adhippetā bhikkhunīti. … The nun who has been given the full ordination in unanimity by both Sanghas through a legal procedure consisting of one motion and three announcements that is irreversible and fit to stand—this sort of nun is meant in this case.
Vāsitakaṁ nāma Scented:
yaṁ kiñci gandhavāsitakaṁ. any kind of scent.
Piññākaṁ nāma Sesame paste:
tilapiṭṭhaṁ vuccati. ground sesame is what is meant.
Nahāyeyyāti Bathes:
nahāyati. Payoge dukkaṭaṁ, nahānapariyosāne āpatti pācittiyassa. is bathing. For the effort there is an act of wrong conduct. At the end of the bath, she commits an offense entailing confession.
Non-offenses
Anāpatti—There is no offense:
ābādhappaccayā, if she does it because she is sick;
pakatipiññākena nahāyati, if she bathes with unscented sesame paste;
ummattikāya, if she is insane;
ādikammikāyāti. if she is the first offender.
Chaṭṭhasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ. The sixth training rule is finished.